Hinckley woman Alex Hopwood setting up charity to help other cancer patients

A 23-year-old fighting leukaemia for a second time is setting up a charity to help other cancer sufferers.

Alex Hopwood, who recently had a second bone marrow transplant, has to raise £5,000 in order to register her charity, A Gift to Lift.

She decided to set it up after she was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Alex, from Hinckley, said: "I had to spend a lot of time in hospital and I was treated in the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"Special things were organised, such as Top Shop opening for an hour extra and a trip to Alton Towers.

"It made me want to help others, so I began making and selling gifts such as headbands and jewellery.

"As well as wanting to raise money it gave me something to do all the time that I was in hospital."

Alex is hoping once it is established the charity will carry on raising money to be able to buy treats for cancer patients.

She said: "It might just be a few toiletries – anything which is going to help someone.

"I want to work with Macmillan nurses to do this."

Alex, a nursery nurse, was told she had leukaemia in September.

She said: "Bruises kept appearing and I was feeling very tired.

"It was a shock to be told it was leukaemia. I was told I needed a bone marrow transplant and, luckily, my brother Dave, who is 26, was a match."

She thought she was on the road to recovery, but the leukaemia returned in May.

Alex said: "It meant more treatment and I have had to have another bone marrow transplant.

"As I get better, I hope to get back to making more jewellery and really get A Gift to Lift off the ground.

"I don't think we are too far off the £5,000 now. We also need to develop the website."

Friends and colleagues have rallied round and on Saturday colleagues from the Hunny Pot day nursery, in Wigston, where she worked before she became ill, are undertaking a 15-mile sponsored walk to raise cash.

Nicola Coe, the day nursery manager who is heading the event, said: "There are 14 of us taking part and we are walking 15 miles, starting in Wigston, although we are not sure of the exact route at the moment.

"We are hoping we will be able to raise about £1,500."

She said: "Our sister nursery in Kibworth has also made A Gift to Lift its charity of the year."